Sunday, May 17, 2015

Making Room for People Struggling With Mental Illness

UPDATE, Feb. 6/17: Vince Li is seeking an absolute dischargeso he can live freely in the community. The question asked two years ago is still germane today.Vince Li, who was found
not criminally responsible for the beheading death of Tim McLean on a greyhound
bus in 2008, has been given the OK to to be transferred to a group home in
Winnipeg. Some are outraged, but many people are fine with it—Li, who has schizophrenia,
has experienced “profound improvement” to his mental health and has been judged
ready to be integrated back into the community. But I wonder: What would happen
if Li decided to attend a Winnipeg church as part of his recovery? Would he be
welcome? I explored the subject in my Free Press column earlier this year.

Do people with mental health challenges
feel welcome at your place of worship?

The question is prompted by the recent
decision to give Vince Li day passes from the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

Many people are familiar with Li, who was found not criminally
responsible for beheading Tim McLean on Greyhound bus in 2008.

Li, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, has described
himself as a devout Christian.

“I believe in Jesus Christ. He is my
Saviour,” he said. “I try to follow God.”

For someone like Li, who is seeking to
return to a normal and productive life, finding a church home would provide a
supportive and caring community.

But are churches ready to help someone like him, or anyone else
struggling with a mental health challenge? A 2014 study by Lifeway Research in the U.S.
suggests the answer is no.

The study of 1,000 Protestant pastors found
that they and their churches are unprepared to deal with people experiencing
mental health challenges.

According to the study, 66
percent of pastors seldom speak to their congregation about mental illness,
only 27 percent of churches have a plan to assist families affected by mental
illness, and only 14 percent have someone on staff who is skilled to deal with
it.

According to Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research,
“pastors need more guidance and preparation for dealing with mental health
crises. They often don't have a plan to help individuals or families affected
by mental illness, and miss opportunities to be the church."

For James Friesen, CEO of Eden Mental Health Centre in Winkler, offering
help to people with mental illness is the right thing for churches to do.

“The church has a higher calling to show
forgiveness, grace and love,” to people who struggle with mental health
challenges, he says.

“For Christians, those things should be at the front ends of our
hearts.”

And how can churches assist people with mental health challenges?

“Listen,” says Friesen, noting that people with mental illness say they
just want to be treated as normal. “They tell me, ‘help us find a place to
live, a job, friends.’ That is 90 percent of what people ask for.”

Education is also important, says Ron Falk, who directs spiritual care
at Eden and who visits churches to help them respond to people facing mental
health issues.

“Churches need to learn about mental illness, how to support people and
their families,” he says.

As for Vince Li, his was an extreme
case; even so, mental healthexperts say he poses a low risk of
reoffending. He has been described as a model patient who is humble and
remorseful for what he did—and determined to stay on his schizophrenia
medication.

It is estimated that one out of every four
or five Canadians who will face a mental health issue in their lifetime. This
means people who are struggling are in every congregation.

Since the heart of
the Christian message is forgiveness, new life and restoration to the
community, your church has an opportunity to help people experiencing
mental health challenges right now.